It is known in the field of timestamping documents to send a digest or fingerprint of document to be timestamped over the internet to a Trusted Clock—a clock whose integrity can be relied upon (for example relied upon in a court of law). The Trusted Clock then timestamps the digest, crypotographically digitally signs the digest (for example by producing a hash or second digest of the document digest plus time stamp and then encrypting it) and sends the signed and hashed fingerprint or document/digest, back over the internet to the person who requested that the digest be signed. The signing process typically involves encrypting data, often using the PKI infrastructure. Thus the signature, and the evidential reliability of the document and timestamp are time-limited to when the cryptographic keys time expire in reliability (the Certification Authority typically puts a limit on the time for which they say their keys are safe, before they cannot be certain enough that someone could not decrypt encrypted messages without the key). This may result in the need to have a, timestamped signed digest timestamped and signed again, using newer encryption keys before the expiry of the older encryption certificate keys.
This need, and the general rise in Internet traffic, and the rise and projected rise in the requirement to timestamp documents or digests of documents with a reliable time, means that there is likely to be increasingly large demands on the Internet telecommunication pathways, and upon the usage of Trusted Clocks.
Documents or digests of documents that are timestamped need not be share trades, tenders for tendered work, or other “high level” sensitive document digests, but are increasingly more mundane things such as a digest of the log of when a monitored door is opened and closed, and who opened and closed it (e.g. secure doors requiring swipe cards or other user identification means). Connecting a door sensor/actuator to the Internet can be expensive and awkward, as can connecting other sensor/or control devices to the Internet.
It is known for people to try to determine the structure and operational capabilities, and software used, in someone else's microchip, or printed circuit board (PCB) in order to break the law For example in order to bypass security provisions in order to perpetrate criminal activities such as industrial espionage, or even fraud or theft. Internet fraud and computer hacking is a growing problem. Bank fraud and the breaching of the security of computer systems is a growing problem. In some cases changing the time on an electronic record, e.g. putting the clock back, can be used in fraud. For example such “spoofing” of systems can mislead third parties into trusting something they should not trust. It is undesirable to have anyone subverting the function of an electronic device in an undetected manner.
It is known to encase microchips, PCB's or other electronic devices in a polymer matrix to hinder their physical inspection. It is known to shield electronic components electromagnetically in order to prevent the leakage of electromagnetic radiation out from a device (the leaking out of information), and to prevent a device being subjected to incoming e.m. radiation, e.g. probing a device with a prompt and seeing what its responses are, in order to deduce things about the device.
It is known to provide an electronic component such as a microchip and/or a PCB with electronic monitoring to establish whether an attempt to interfere with the component is being made. However, it can be relatively straightforward to avoid the known security systems, for example using a drill to drill down into the component, possibly after X-raying the component to learn more of its structure before drilling.
It is known to have flexible circuit boards where a printed circuit board is printed onto a flexible unitary homogenous sheet of Mylar plastics material.